<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>apotelesma by Anonymous</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27828853">apotelesma</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:26:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,648</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27828853</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiro has many regrets in his life, but his biggest one is not saying anything about this before it was too late.</p><p>(In which Keith says yes to an Angel.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith &amp; Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>apotelesma</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have no one to blame but myself. And my reinterest in Supernatural. I'm sorry.</p><p>Not beta-read because I'm just throwing this out there for all to see.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shiro rounds a corner and stills when he spies Keith standing in the middle of the hallway, a frustrated look on his face. He nearly goes over to offer help, to lay a hand on his shoulder in an attempt at comfort, but something stops him. Maybe it's the silence that permeates the space, or maybe it's the sudden pressure that seems to press down on his shoulders, but Shiro finds that he can't move from his spot.</p><p>"How do I know you're not lying?" Keith suddenly says. "How do I know it's not a trick?"</p><p>There's a beat where Keith seems to be waiting for a response. Shiro leans forward, trying to hear one, but as far as he's concerned, there's no one else in the hallway. He watches as Keith's lips pull down into a scowl, arms crossed in the way that tells Shiro that he's annoyed.</p><p>"You don't <em>need </em>me," Keith grumbles. "You said you had others, don't you? Why can't you ask one of them? Someone who isn't in the middle of a damn war?"</p><p>Something akin to hope flickers onto Keith's face after a few seconds, blooming and bright, and causing unease to form in Shiro's gut. Who is Keith talking to?</p><p>Finally, Shiro steps out of his hiding spot and calls out, "Hey, Keith!"</p><p>Keith whirls toward him, and Shiro's surprised to see the panicked look on his face. It quickly fades into that professional mask that Shiro's starting to hate—even though it's his fault for it. Guilt floods through him, but he quickly squashes it down. It's better this way, and easier for him to deal with his feelings.</p><p>"Shiro," Keith greets and then arches a brow. "Did you need me for something?"</p><p>Shiro tries to come up with an excuse, but what comes out of his mouth is, "Who were you talking to?"</p><p>And there's that panic again, a flicker of it, and Keith's eyes move away from him. "No one," he says with a half-hearted shrug. "Myself, I guess.</p><p>The lie is obvious, and it makes something sting in Shiro's chest. Still, it's clear that Keith's not going to open up about this, and there's no way that Shiro can wring it out of him now. He shakes his head and claps Keith on the back, guiding him away from the empty hallway. "We have a meeting," he says as they leave. "With the Garrison and the Blade."</p><p>The oppressive feeling doesn't leave him.</p><p> </p><p>❦ ❦ ❦</p><p> </p><p>More of these moments pop up—Keith talking to something that Shiro can’t see, and Keith always denying that he’s talking to someone. Keith becomes distracted and distant as they near Honerva’s location, and now, Shiro’s trying to close the gap that he created, and he’s met with walls and hazy eyes.</p><p>Shiro has many regrets in his life, but his biggest one is not saying anything about this before it was too late.</p><p> </p><p>❦ ❦ ❦</p><p> </p><p>Everything around them is white, pure, and bright, but the ugly feeling in his chest is anything but as he watches Allura face them with sorrow in her eyes. There's nothing they can do to fix this, nothing they can do to stop her, and Shiro just feels useless.</p><p>He glances at Keith and back, and then looks at Keith again, alarmed. Keith's not even looking at Allura, no. He's distracted by something, gazing around the plane between realities with a furrowed brow. Shiro can see his lips moving, but he can't hear what he's saying, and then—</p><p>"Yes," Keith says, in a voice that's both too loud and too soft. All attention snaps to him, but Keith's focused on something else, gaze far-off and resigned. "I say yes."</p><p>There's a ringing in Shiro's ears, getting louder and louder, and he can't help but fall to his knees, hands pressed to the side of his head. He sees everyone doing the same, even Allura and Honerva, but Keith remains standing, arms lax at his side, staring up with an expression of serenity. The white light that surrounds them gets brighter and brighter, and Shiro's forced to shut his eyes when they start to burn, everything rumbling around him, shaking, terrifying.</p><p>And then, it stops.</p><p>Shiro tentatively pulls his hands away, dazed and confused. The others look the same as he feels, and panic worms its way into his muddled mind. His head snaps over to Keith and he freezes, seeing the younger man simply standing there, but Shiro knows that it's <em>not </em> Keith, just by the way he—<em>it</em>—stands. Too still, too quiet, less like the warrior that Keith is, and more like a soldier, waiting for a General to make their command.</p><p>"Hmm," Keith's voice says, flexing his hands. This tone is airy and flat, devoid of any emotion. "Peculiar. Very peculiar."</p><p>"W-What..." Honerva says, and all attention falls upon her. She's staring at Keith with wide, frightened eyes. "What are you?"</p><p>Keith's lips twitch, a half-smile that's so foreign and strange. "Does it matter?" it asks, rolling his shoulders back. "I'm the one that's going to make things right."</p><p>"How?" Allura chokes out.</p><p>“Does it matter?” it asks again. “You do not have to sacrifice your life, Princess of Altea. I will be the one to fix all of this, and you will remain free for the rest of your lives.” And with that, the creature lifts Keith’s hands and snaps his fingers, and then—</p><p>Shiro blinks when he suddenly finds himself on the bridge of the Atlas, the other Paladins swaying beside him. Allura’s still there with them, but there’s no sign of Honerva, and the tear in front of them is shrinking, white light getting sucked back in until all that there’s left is nothing. When Shiro glances around again, seeing everyone celebrate, dread makes his heart sink when he sees no sign of Keith.</p><p>“Where’s Keith?” Allura asks with wide eyes, and everyone turns to him, as if he has all the answers.</p><p>Shiro wishes that he did.</p><p> </p><p>❦ ❦ ❦</p><p> </p><p>He’s standing alone in the training room when he hears a rustle of… <em> something, </em> and when he turns he’s surprised to see Keith standing there, staring at him with a perplexed expression, so alien and new.</p><p><em> Not Keith, </em>Shiro reminds himself, and the rush of anger that he feels nearly overwhelms him. “Get out of him,” he commands, stepping closer to Keith’s body. “Give him back to me.”</p><p>The creature cocks Keith’s head to the side, narrowing his eyes. “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Keith’s voice says, hands behind his back. It moves stiffly when it starts walking about the room, voice echoing across the emptiness. “We have a deal, you see, and he has to keep up his side of it.”</p><p>“A deal,” Shiro repeats incredulously. He thinks of the moment when he first saw the change in Keith, and he starts. “He made you save us.”</p><p>“And the realities,” the creature adds, turning to face Shiro. “I saved those as well.”</p><p>“But why?” Shiro blurts out. “Why save us? Why use Keith’s body?”</p><p>“Because I need him,” it answers. Shiro’s starting to hate that flat voice, the lack of emotion that just reminds him that this isn’t Keith. “I need him for something important, and he’s my true vessel, the only one that can contain me long enough without imploding.”</p><p>Shiro rears back at that. “W-What?” he asks. “What the hell does that mean?”</p><p>“It means what it means. Keith Kogane can contain me while I use him for my purpose, and he allowed me entry to his body.” The creature smooths a hand down the Marmora suit (why did it change into that?), and nods. “And in return,” it continues. “I agreed to save his friends and all realities for him.”</p><p>Shiro opens his mouth, but no words come out. He’s shocked, stumped, and he doesn’t know what to say. Eventually, Shiro swallows, fists clenched at his side, and asks in a whisper, “What are you?”</p><p>The lights in the training room flicker, darkness bleeding into the room. Some of the bulbs shatter, glass raining down around them, and Shiro watches as the creature stands taller, regal, eyes glowing with an inhuman, blue light. Suddenly, there are great shadows appearing from behind Keith’s body, every flash of light showing them off as they unfurl and expand until he sees great, big wings curving upwards, the outline of feathers pointing downward. It’s there for a moment, enough to shake Shiro’s belief, and then it’s gone, most of the lights back on.</p><p>“I’m an Angel of the Lord,” Keith’s voice intones. “I have an important mission to complete, but Keith wanted me to stop by and say goodbye before we left.”</p><p>“Is—” Shiro clears his throat. “Is he alright?”</p><p>“He is fine,” the angel assures, but it does nothing to soothe the pit in Shiro’s stomach. “We do not harm our vessels, and their minds remain intact. He is alert, right now, and he feels sorrow for doing this, sorrow for leaving.” There’s a pause, the angel cocking Keith’s head, and then he steps closer to Shiro, gazing at him with an intensity that makes Shiro tremble. </p><p>“What?” he croaks out.</p><p>“I fear that I must leave now,” it says before leaning forward, brushing Keith’s lips over Shiro’s cheeks. “If you need me,” the angel says after pulling away. “Pray, and I will come find you and save you from whatever brings you harm.”</p><p>And then Keith’s gone with another rustle, which Shiro assumes to be wings. He staggers and sinks to the floor, uncaring of the glass shards that’ll surely cut his skin. It doesn’t matter, anyways.</p><p><em> An Angel, </em> Shiro thinks fervently. <em> An Angel took over Keith’s body. </em></p><p>He stays there for a long time, mulling over what the Angel said. Despite the promise in those words, Shiro still feels himself losing faith.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>